Bread-cutting machine.



PATENTED 001'. 13, 190 3.

L. J. ODBLL.

BREAD CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1902- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL abbomur E mums pzrzns coy, PHOTO-LUNG" WASHINGTON. n. c.

PATENTED OCT. 13, 1903.

L. J. ODELL. BREAD CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL OIOI ale all or 0 0| ol 0 l l'i -l ZIZIZIZIOIII m: mums PEIERi cu, PnoTo-umu, wmumm'cw. 0. c4

Patented October 13, 1908.

A T FF LEVIJUDSON ODELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BREAD-CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,161, dated October 13, 1903.

Application filed July 26, 1902. Serial No. 117,175. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI Jonson ODELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chi cage, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bread-Cutting Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the in vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to bread-cutting machines, and improvement and novelty therein is claimed with respect to the feed mechanism, the location and operation of the cutting-knife, and otherwise, as will appear from the following description and claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation showing the feed device. side board forming the feed-trough and the angle-bracket for supporting and adjusting the same. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the knife entering a loaf. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of a modification with continuous feed. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the parts shown in Fig. 3.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 6 indicates a table on which a feed-trough is formed by strips 6" on one side and the board 6 on the other.

7 indicates the shaft which operates the knife and feed. The knife is indicated at 7, and its cutting edge is curved, so as to cut with a drawing out. The said shaft is located and supported in suitable brackets 7*,

at or slightly below the table-top. The eflect of this is that when the shaft is revolved the knife enters the side of the loaf at the bottom, and by reason of its curve cuts laterally and upwardly through the loaf. This avoids crushing the loaf, inasmuch as the bottom crust will support the thrust of the out much better than the top crust, especially in slicing soft fresh bread. This is a marked improvement over inachines'in which the knives cut from above, which are apt to crush the bread instead of cutting it. The knife work s Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section of the through a slot 7 out in the table-top. To accommodate loaves of different widths, the side board 6 is adjustable laterally by means of a supporting-bracket 8, which is slotted, as at 8 to receive an adjusting thumb-screw 8 The standing arm of the bracketis fixed to the side board, and to keep the board in proper alinement the lying arm of the bracket has two studs 8, which slide in a groove 8, formed in the tabletop. This groove is at a right angle to the trough.

The feed is operated from the shaft 7 by means of a spiral cam 7 on the inner end thereof, which engages the tail of a lever 9, pivoted at 9, and carrying at its head the gravity-pawl 9 which engages a ratchet-bar 10, to the forward end of which the feed-block 10 is attached. This block is offset from the bar to come behind the leaf, and the bar slides through guides 10". By contact of the cam with the lever the pawl carries the bar and block forward until the lever slips over the end of the cam, when it is retracted by the pull of the spring 9, and so the bread is fed along the trough step by step properly timed to the stroke of the knife.

The feed is adjustable by means of the thumb-screw 11, against the point of which the lever 9 stops. By adjusting the screw the movement of the lever, and consequently the pawl, are governed and the pawl caused to feed as many of the teeth of the ratchet-bar at each step as desired within the range of throw of the cam. Thus the pawl may be set to take back over one, two, three, or more teeth, as desired, and the slices will be of corresponding width. 7 indicates the crank which turns the shaft, and 12 a hinged cover for the knife. This cover is hinged to the table on the side of the recess opposite the trough and when closed extends over the trough, having an opening through which the bread passes as it is fed forward. The cover thus confines the bread to the trough and prevents any lift thereof atthe knife-stroke. The side board is divided, as at 6, to permit the passage of the knife, and the parts are joined by an arch 6.

In the construction above described, which is that illustrated in Fig. 1, the pawl must be lifted and the bar 10 pulled back each time to put another loaf of bread in front of the feedblock. In the modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the feed is continuous, and the details thereof comprise an endless chain 13, which has pins 13 to stick in the bottom of the bread. This chain runs over wheels 14L in a slot 15, formed in the bottom of the trough at such height that the pins will take in the bottom of the loaf. The chain is driven by a ratchet-wheel 16 and shaft 16*, the ratchetwheel being engaged and actuated by a pawl practically identical with the pawl 9 and otherwise, as above described. To hold the loaf down, so that the pins will stick in it, I employ an overhanging arm 17, which is hinged to the table-top at 18 and carries a block 17*, which presses on top of the loaf in the trough. This arm is pressed down upon the loaf by a spring 18* at the hinge.

What I claim as new is In a bread-cutting machine, the combina- MLIGI tion with a table having in the top thereof a longitudinal recess and a transverse slot crossing the recess, of a shaft journaled in the recess below the plane of the table-top, a knife carried thereby having a volute edge cutting upwardly and laterally and Working through the slot on both sides of the recess, feed mechanism actuated by the shaft, a trough formed on the table-top along one side of the recess, and a cover over the knife and trough hinged to the table-top on the other side of the recess and having an opening over the trough through which the bread passes.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, LEVI JUDSON ODELL.

Witnesses:

M. C. ODELL, G. V. ODELL. 

